apologies I probably didn't read through everything properly, long day with babies with colds! SIGH! So basically I should make a stronger effort to spring and fall do a big layer of manure... and as I'm able to build up from what I've got to make the soil on top better... and when I dig holes in the meantime, dig a REALLY BIG HOLE. I have a raised sidebed in my front yard, all the roses in it, of course, are doing great. When the development put the front yards in, they added sloping raised beds I think to some degree. Everything in the front sloping area, in general, as long as it gets the right water seems to do pretty well. The Backyard which got no sloping, etc, and was probably not done well by the different landscaper (not the development one) I don't think was drained or graded as well as it could have been. There is an area of the yard that has never quite drained properly, and there are definitely parts of it that just will probably never tolerate saliva due to drainage, while other areas in the back have thriving ones. my wisteria doesn't really bloom... (if it doesn't bloom enough this next year I'm pulling them out. Yes I know they're monsters, but at least they haven't DIED.) AT LEAST THE GUARA IS THRIVING. haha. BLESS GUARA. (If you don't like it, lie to me.) and miraculously my weeping sakura tree is happy. :) There's one very happy wall and corner which starts with my snail vine, a big happy La France Cl, Larry Daniels, Sombreuil, Alchemist, William Shakespeare 2000, James Galway and a lot of guara, agapanthus, irises and rosemary. all are happy and large and starting to grow into each other. If I could just get the REST of my yard to look like that...! The center of the backyard is particularly barren looking to me. Maybe that's the area I should try to dig up some and build on top of since a lot of the stuff there isn't that happy. Maybe I could dig around the roses which ARE happy there? I don't know.

Jem is right on with his impression of how to deal with this. It is simply a coolant flow, or heat transfer issue. One other possibility is water pump impeller failure/erosion. Using a scan tool to watch the engine temperature as it changes through various engine loads and speeds one can often determine if it has an airflow (heat transfer) problem or if it is a coolant speed issue. I use my infrared thermometer to measure surface temperatures of the radiator both with the coolant fans running and off to try and measure for cold spots which would be signs of restrictions in the radiator. Suprisingly, waterpumps that have a plastic impeller that has fallen completely off will often times still move enough coolant to cool an engine at idle or under a light engine load. The temperature may be higher than "normal" which would be 198f-207f while driving steady speed on the road. With an impeller failure something like 205f-215f might be seen, and almost as soon as you pull over, or especially while coasting you will see a drop in the temperature . This is an indication that if the coolant moves quick enough in relationship to the heat the engine is generating then the cooling system would perform as expected. Unfortunately with few exceptions, if a failed waterpump impeller is suspected the only way to check it is to remove the pump, and then you should just plan to replace it while it's off anyway. Of course with a Neon, that usually means a timing belt, idler pulleys, and updated tensioner and rear cover if it has not already had the up-grade. Failure to repair this will of course result in a blown headgasket and that could be just about considered fatal to a 95 Neon cost wise.

Ann, I'm in South Florida as well, just a bit further up the coast in Fort Pierce. I've been all over the place getting quotes for cabinets, granite/laminate countertops, etc. The best quote I've received for cabinets is at this place: DESIGN KITCHENS 412 Farmers Market Rd. Ft. Pierce, FL 34982 772-464-0500 o My aunt actually recommended them to me. One of my uncles used to work there and said they did quality work, which is a high recommendation if you knew this uncle! The guy I talked to there (Larry?) actually went to the trouble to explain to me all about different box materials AND listened to what I want in my kitchen. He made a couple of really good suggestions, but wasn't offended when I turned one of them down. His quote matched what we discussed exactly. As for countertops, in my area alone I count 8 places of the top of my head who are advertising granite starting at $9.95/sq ft. With installation, all of them are actually running under $40/sq ft. In the Miami/Dade area, you may actually be able to find lower prices because of competition. I've been working on my kitchen for nearly a year because I'm fighting with the insurance company over water damage. In that time, I've also been haunting Craig's List, so I know you could probably find all of the appliances you're looking for on there for a fraction of your budget. For example: I wanted a bottom mount fridge (to replace my white SxS) in bisque because I don't like stainless. I figured I'd have to bite the bullet and pay the $2500 price at an appliance store, but I kept hoping. Three days ago my fridge popped up on CL and I went and bought it for $250! That's a 2250 savings on my budget for a little diligence in checking CL (and about a 30 mile round trip). My new fridge is gorgeous!!! LOL, if you're interested in a 4 year old SxS in white, I'm listing it this afternoon on CL. :) Anyway, the whole point of my ramble is this: the Expo may not be the best source for good prices on quality products for your kitchen remodel. It's simple because all of the vendors are under one roof at one time, but you can do your kitchen less expensively if you have the time and inclination to do the leg work. The Expo is great for seeing what is available out there, for sure. And, a big thank you to whomever posted about the Ikea in Sunrise! I was going to Orlando to check out the Ikea there, but Sunrise may actually be closer for me! :)

mogator, thanks for your reply. The problem with Saloom is that the warranty excludes checks and then includes the language that checks are natural. I noticed the checks right after the table was delivered (I wasn't home when it was delivered) but they were so tiny and I thought I had a year to see if they really were a problem, so I didn't pursue it at that time. And then 4 months after I got the table, I found out that the warranty specifically excluded checks (see my December 2006 post in the furniture forum, linked above). I'm sure I asked the store about the warranty when I purchased my table, but a copy of the warranty was never given to me and I didn't read it until December of 2006 when I checked Saloom's web site for care instructions--I take full responsibility for not having asked for a copy of the warranty and reading it myself (although I think a copy of the warranty should have been given to me when the table was delivered). However, the exclusion of checks, coupled with the language in the warranty that checks are natural etc., makes you think that there is nothing wrong with excluding checks from the warranty and really does make a customer think that they can't pursue a warranty claim if they get a check in their table. I sent my letter to the furniture company in August because, whether checks are natural or not, I really thought that it was wrong for a new table to have them and I wanted the company to know that and, if checks are not covered by the warranty, then I thought the furniture store should have inspected the table for checks before they delivered it to me. The language in the warranty about checks being natural is what makes customers like me who experience problems with checks to not vigorously pursue them as a warranty claim. And now I learn that the language in the warranty is deceptive and that checks can be caused by defects in workmanship or material and it really is not fair to put 100% of the liability for checks on the customer. I think that my statements that Saloom's warranty is not as broad as the warranties of other manufacturers of similar quality, that Saloom's warranty includes deceptive language about the cause of checks, and that Saloom has no customer service department are accurate and I think people should know about those things if they are considering purchasing a Saloom table. I think Saloom tables are pretty and, except for the checks, I'm happy with the quality of my table and chairs. However, I can tell it won't be long before the finish starts chipping off by the checks and then my one year and 5 month old table will be an eyesore which just isn't right. I, too, thought that the Saloom tables were nicer than the Canadel tables, but I can tell you that I would rather have a Canadel table without checks than my Saloom table with the checks. I understand that Saloom wants customers to pursue warranty claims though the dealer, but Saloom could still have an email address where customers can send their questions/comments/complaints, even if all Saloom does is forward them to the dealer and tell you to contact the dealer. Canadel, Ethan Allen, Stickley, Thomasville, Century, Bernhardt, etc. all have contact information on their websites. Dealers are not always the easiest people to deal with and when you have a problem like mine that appears to be a tiny problem and seems to be excluded by the warranty, it is nice to be able to email the manufacturer with your concerns. It sounds like you have spoken to the woman who called me--LOL!